Re-Post

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Develop Your Own Compass, And Trust It.

Not to be morbid, but a new month also means one less month on earth. Just as a new years means the ending of someone's life sooner than later....

Recently, a friend and I sat down and chatted about life and meaning behind things.

We’ve both been alive for 40-something years. The first decade was somewhat a blur, but also our foundation and the fundamental character-building years. The second decade—our roaring twenties—we made impulsive decisions, fought for love, fought for career, saved some money, spent a lot more than we made. My brothers and I lost our mom to breast cancer and it was a huge eye opening and difficult time accepting and then telling her it was okay to let go. Then one day we woke up and we were 30.

Now, in our thirties, we had (some) clarity and, finally were investing a little in retirement funds, built a house or two, moved, possibly changed careers or started a new business and found structure. Some of my siblings had children, others did not by choice or chance and we all were making the best of our situations come heck or high water and sometimes amid both.

And suddenly we were in our forties and when the heck did that happen?? According to my calculations and family history, we are about halfway through our lives. If we count on our good gene pool, and a little luck, lots of healthy eating and exercise, we are still about halfway through the most active years of our life.

I told my friend what I wanted to do during this next decade of my life, and he responded without hesitancy:

Do it.

But, I said.

Do it.

I sat and stared. The list of all my responsibilities came to mind (many job/travel/family commitments, schedules to follow, meals to cook, places to be)—all of which did not seem as important as the fact that, no matter what, I have to live my life, so how do I want it all to look? Feel? Be experienced?

He turned to me and said, we get one chance to walk this planet.

This. Is. It.

Today, I feel empowered to make all the changes I want to make in order to live my most vibrant life. Tomorrow, I may be scared (actually, I’m sure I will be scared). Either way, those dreams and desires are beckoning. They are calling. They are waiting to be lived.

In the spirit of the new month, new quarter of the year, new beginnings, many new moons, know your vibrancy.

Know that you are given one chance to really experience life in this unique body, in this unique form.

You are given one chance to roam with these phenomenal legs and tremendous eyes and unique voice.

In another decade, you might not have the ability to do what you love. You may not be able to write furiously or teach yoga with agility; you may not be able to travel with ease or make love with fervor. You might not have the love of your life by your side through a purposeful separation or through a terrible loss. I cannot imagine life alone but we must imagine ourselves living with fervor while we CAN.

So today, I encourage you to do it.

Do it all with no regrets.

Do it all without asking for permission.

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”~ Rumi